Perth Mint

The Perth Mint is Australia's oldest operating mint, tracing its history back to Great Britain's Royal Mint. It remained under British control until 1970 when it became an independent mint. To this day, The Perth Mint operates under the same premises as when it began.

History of The Perth Mint

Sir John Forrest laid The Perth Mint’s foundation in 1896. Its purpose was to service the quickly growing population in Western Australia, which was exploding due to the discovery of Gold deposits in surrounding areas. Three years later, The Perth Mint opened. Money for which miners could exchange their Gold was in short supply in that era so miners brought the fruits of their labor to The Perth Mint, where it was minted into Gold coins.

A Branch of The Royal Mint

This form of exchange made perfect sense at the time, as Gold sovereigns and half sovereigns were commonly used throughout the British Empire as currency. Instead of shipping Gold all the way back to The Royal Mint in England, The Perth Mint functioned as something of a branch mint for the colony, refining the Gold and minting it into sovereigns right in Australia.

The Post-Sovereign Era

In 1931, the British Empire withdrew sovereigns from circulation, so The Perth Mint began to produce a range of Gold and Silver coins in addition to refining Gold. In this era, The Perth Mint became a recognized standard when it comes to the value of Gold. The mint reached new heights in 1957, producing what some have called “the purest of all Gold” in the form of a 13 oz (400 gram) proof “plate” containing .999999 fine Gold. The Royal Mint was so impressed with the purity, they ordered some as a benchmark for their own standards.

Powered By Its Own Steam

Control of the Perth Mint passed from British ownership to the Government of Western Australia in 1970. Seventeen years later, the Australian Parliament passed an act creating the Gold Corporation. The Department of the Treasury enabled The Perth Mint to both mint and market Gold Perth coins, Silver Perth coins and Platinum Perth coins. These coins’ value would be backed by the government, enabling them to function as legal tender in addition to investment vehicles for Precious Metals enthusiasts around the world. The first day of trading was a wild success, yielding the sale of 155,000 ounces of Gold totaling $103 million (AUD) in profit.

Popular Perth Mint Products

The Perth Mint has a long history of producing and refining large quantities of Gold, Silver and other Precious Metals in the forms of coins, rounds and bars. The time-tested purity of Perth Gold and Perth Silver makes the mint a member of an elite group of mints that produce coins whose value is trusted without hesitation. Their coins have significant numismatic and commemorative worth and many can be used as legal tender in Australia and other countries. Some internationally renowned coins from The Perth Mint include:

In addition to Perth Gold and Silver coins, investors from around the world also seek out Perth Gold bars. These include cast and minted bars that are guaranteed through the London Good Delivery set of standards.

Perth Mint's History

Today, the Perth Mint provides refining, assaying and other services to the Precious Metals industry while also serving as a depository.

Precious Metals Depository

As a Precious Metal depository, The Perth Mint enables investors to own Precious Metals without having to deal with the security, insurance and other potential issues associated with physical possession of Precious Metals. The mint takes care of both the storage and safekeeping of its customers’ Precious Metals.

Refining and Assaying

The Perth Mint is accredited as a refiner, weighmaster and assayer by a variety of internationally respected exchanges, including the:

London Bullion Market Association (LBMA)

New York Commodity Exchange (COMEX/CME)

Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)

Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM)

The LBMA is perhaps the most valuable of accreditations. It is so prominent and respected because it is based not just on the rigorous requirements for listing, but also on the LBMA’s rigorous scrutiny of an organization’s:

Thanks to LBMA, investors and market participants can be assured of the accuracy of the stated weight and purity as well as the integrity of Perth Mint Precious Metal products. The value of an LBMA recognition is such that traders around the world will accept bars from The Perth Mint without question, simplifying the process for both buyer and seller.

A wide acceptance of its Precious Metal products makes this mint an internationally renowned producer of coins, bars and rounds. Regardless of where you are in the world, products from The Perth Mint are trusted investments with lasting value.

We provide all of our customers with a refund, return and / or exchange on everything we sell including all bullion and certified coins. If for any reason, you have a problem, please feel free to call us. We will always do our best to accommodate you.